Article Type:
Research Article

ENSO Impacts on Peak Wind Gusts in the United States

Jesse Enloe National Climatic Data Center, Asheville, North Carolina

Search for other papers by Jesse Enloe in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed Close
,
James J. O'Brien Center for Ocean–Atmospheric Prediction Studies, The Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida

Search for other papers by James J. O'Brien in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed Close
, and
Shawn R. Smith Center for Ocean–Atmospheric Prediction Studies, The Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida

Search for other papers by Shawn R. Smith in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed Close
Print Publication:
15 Apr 2004
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0442(2004)017<1728:EIOPWG>2.0.CO;2
Page(s):
1728–1737
Restricted access

Abstract

Changes in the peak wind gust magnitude in association with the warm and cold phases of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) are identified over the contiguous United States. All calculations of the peak wind gust are differences in the extreme phases of ENSO (warm and cold) relative to neutral for all stations in the study that pass the completeness criteria. Monthly composites were created for all years in the study (1 January 1948 through 31 August 1998). The differences in the mean peak wind gust are calculated for each month. A nonparametric statistical test was invoked to determine significant shifts in the extreme phase distributions. Differences in the frequency of gale-force wind gusts were also calculated.

The results show a dominant, ENSO cold phase wintertime signal. Regions most greatly affected are the Pacific Northwest, Southwest, the Great Plains, and the region extending from the Great Lakes through the Ohio River valley, and southwest into Texas. During the cold phase months from November to March, these regions experience an overall increase in the gustiness of the winds. The warm phase is associated with overall decreased gustiness in the Pacific Northwest during these months; however, the signal is of a lesser magnitude. There is also an observed decrease in the central Great Plains during the warm phase months of April and June. These results, along with improved ENSO forecasting, can work toward mitigating adverse effects of strong wind gusts and increase the utilization of wind power.

Corresponding author address: Mr. Jesse Enloe, National Climatic Data Center, 151 Patton Ave, Rm 514, Asheville, NC 28801. Email: jesse.enloe@noaa.gov

Abstract

Changes in the peak wind gust magnitude in association with the warm and cold phases of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) are identified over the contiguous United States. All calculations of the peak wind gust are differences in the extreme phases of ENSO (warm and cold) relative to neutral for all stations in the study that pass the completeness criteria. Monthly composites were created for all years in the study (1 January 1948 through 31 August 1998). The differences in the mean peak wind gust are calculated for each month. A nonparametric statistical test was invoked to determine significant shifts in the extreme phase distributions. Differences in the frequency of gale-force wind gusts were also calculated.

The results show a dominant, ENSO cold phase wintertime signal. Regions most greatly affected are the Pacific Northwest, Southwest, the Great Plains, and the region extending from the Great Lakes through the Ohio River valley, and southwest into Texas. During the cold phase months from November to March, these regions experience an overall increase in the gustiness of the winds. The warm phase is associated with overall decreased gustiness in the Pacific Northwest during these months; however, the signal is of a lesser magnitude. There is also an observed decrease in the central Great Plains during the warm phase months of April and June. These results, along with improved ENSO forecasting, can work toward mitigating adverse effects of strong wind gusts and increase the utilization of wind power.

Corresponding author address: Mr. Jesse Enloe, National Climatic Data Center, 151 Patton Ave, Rm 514, Asheville, NC 28801. Email: jesse.enloe@noaa.gov

Save
Cover Journal of Climate
Journal of Climate

  • Bove, M. C., 1998: Impacts of ENSO on United States tornadic activity. Preprints, Ninth Symp. on Global Change Studies, Phoenix, AZ, Amer. Meteor. Soc., 199–202.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Bove, M. C., J. B. Elsner, C. W. Landsea, X. Niu, and J. J. O'Brien, 1998: Effect of El Niño on U.S. landfalling hurricanes, revisited. Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 79 , 2477–2482.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Gershunov, A., and T. P. Barnett, 1998a: ENSO influence on intraseasonal extreme rainfall and temperature frequencies in the contiguous United States: Observations and model results. J. Climate, 11 , 1575–1586.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Gershunov, A., and T. P. Barnett, 1998b: Interdecadal modulation of ENSO teleconnections. Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 79 , 2715–2725.

  • Glantz, M. H., 1988: Seasonal Responses to Regional Climatic Change: Forecasting by Analogy. Westview Press, 428 pp.

  • Green, P. M., 1996: Regional analysis of Canadian, Alaskan, and Mexican precipitation and temperature anomalies for ENSO impact. Center for Ocean–Atmospheric Prediction Studies, The Florida State University, Tech. Rep. 96-6, 104 pp. [Available from COAPS, The Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306-2840.].

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Groisman, P. Ya, and H. P. Barker, 2002: Homogeneous blended wind data over the contiguous United States. Preprints, 13th Conf. on Applied Climatology, Portland, OR, Amer. Meteor. Soc., 114–117.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Hanley, D. E., M. A. Bourassa, J. J. O'Brien, S. R. Smith, and H. M. Spade, 2003: A quantitative evaluation of ENSO indices. J. Climate, 16 , 1249–1258.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Hollander, M., and W. A. Wolfe, 1999: Nonparametric Statistical Methods. John Wiley and Sons, 779 pp.

  • Horel, J. D., and J. M. Wallace, 1981: Planetary-scale atmospheric phenomena associated with the Southern Oscillation. Mon. Wea. Rev., 109 , 813–829.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Hurrell, J. W., 1996: Influence of variations in extratropical wintertime teleconnections on Northern Hemisphere temperature. Geophys. Res. Lett., 23 , 665–668.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Japan Meteorological Agency, 1991: Climate charts of sea surface temperatures of the western North Pacific and the global ocean. Marine Department, Japanese Meteorological Agency, 51 pp.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Ludlum, D., 1991: The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Weather. Alfred A. Knopf, 656 pp.

  • NCDC, 1998: Cooperative station summary of day data for the U.S. National Climatic Data Center Digital Dataset TD3200, 22 pp.

  • NCDC, 2001: Enhanced hourly wind station data for the contiguous United States. National Climatic Data Center Digital Dataset TD6421, 11 pp.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Philander, S. G., 1990: El Niño, La Niña, and the Southern Oscillation. Academic Press, 293 pp.

  • Ropelewski, C. F., and M. S. Halpert, 1986: North American precipitation and temperature patterns associated with the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Mon. Wea. Rev., 114 , 2352–2362.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Ropelewski, C. F., and M. S. Halpert, 1996: Quantifying Southern Oscillation precipitation relationships. J. Climate, 9 , 1043–1059.

  • Sevruk, B., 1982: Methods of correction for systematic error in point precipitation measurement for operational use. WMO Operational Hydrology Tech. Rep. 21, 91 pp.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Sittel, M. C., 1994a: Marginal probabilities of the extremes of ENSO events for temperature and precipitation in the southeastern United States. COAPS Tech. Rep. 94-1, 153 pp. [Available from COAPS, The Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306-2840.].

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Sittel, M. C., 1994b: Differences in the means of ENSO extremes for maximum temperature and precipitation in the United States. COAPS Tech. Rep. 94-2, 44 pp. [Available from COAPS, The Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306-2840.].

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Smith, S. R., and J. J. O'Brien, 2001: Regional snowfall distributions associated with ENSO: Implications for seasonal forecasting. Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 82 , 1179–1191.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Smith, S. R., P. M. Green, A. P. Leonardi, and J. J. O'Brien, 1998: Role of multiple level tropospheric circulations in forcing ENSO winter precipitation anomalies. Mon. Wea. Rev., 126 , 3102–3116.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Uccellini, L. W., 1990: Process contributing to the rapid development of extratropical cyclones. Extratropical Cyclones: The Erik Palmén Memorial Volume, C. W. Newton and E. O. Holopainen, Eds., Amer. Meteor. Soc., 81–105.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Wallace, J. M., and D. S. Gutzler, 1981: Teleconnections in the geopotential height field during the Northern Hemisphere winter. Mon. Wea. Rev., 109 , 784–811.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Yarnal, B., and H. F. Diaz, 1986: Relationships between extremes of the Southern Oscillation and the winter climate of the Anglo-American Pacific coast. J. Climatol., 6 , 197–219.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
All Time Past Year Past 30 Days
Abstract Views 0 0 0
Full Text Views 916 360 30
PDF Downloads 1219 117 3